TV Web Extensions

Welcome to TV’s next dimension: the online “story extension.” Characters, subplots, scenes and clues are jumping off the tube and into the internet ether, taking us deeper into the story…and giving us more ways to procrastinate at work.

Today, nearly every show has some official presence on the web, offering episode recaps, character profiles, blogs and behind-the-scenes snapshots. But more and more, TV web extensions are taking us further into each show’s world, creating mini spin-offs from the main plot, introducing new layers to the mysteries, or offering insights into the real lives of the people depicted in the scripts. It’s no longer enough to simply lie on the couch to take it all in; viewers are now summoned to play their part, searching the internet for clues, offering up their own stories or renditions, debating with fellow viewers.

eGuiders is plumbing the depths of both TV and the internet to bring you this one-of-a-kind breakout of the multiplatform network universe. While not every show has stepped into the third dimension, we’ve seen the future, and it lies in the transmitted storyline, one that occurs across mediums, moving us to ever-smaller screens to piece together the bigger picture. Life doesn’t take place on one plane, after all, so why should TV?

— Melissa Roth

Recommended by eGuiders

SHOW

DESCRIPTION

LINKS

LOST

LOST has given birth to several official online worlds over the seasons, including an entire Lostpedia portal that allows fans to edit the multi-layered entries, a cryptic Hanso Foundation site, and Oceanic Air’s "official" site. While many buzzed-about sites can no longer be found ("Dharma Wants You" and "Let Your Compass Guide You"), you can still pull up DJ Dan’s Conspiracy site, complete with "beast sightings" and TMZ-style photos of Hanso's Mittelwerk. And creator J.J. Abrams' Fuselage allows fans to pose questions to the actors and creative team while interacting with each other.

Actor Dean Norris offers a comedic, v-log style look at his troubles separating his character from himself, among other "Confessions". He wants his co-star to stop ad-libbing about his weight - and he needs a bigger gun!

Watch & Chat is a social networking site at CBS where fans can connect with each other and watch episodes of shows. You can " LOL in unison at the same crazy antics" or "Throw tomatoes at contestants."

Stephen FORBIDS his DJ Jazzy Jerk viewers from re-mixing his interview with a copyright curmudgeon to a "pumpin k-hole groove," and gets hundreds of disco vids of his suited self gettin' down and nasty

The Comedy Central "Insider Blog" features original videos from upcoming comedians (like Christopher Titus on Valentine's Day) and riffs on the news (like a random, out-of-his-mind kid on YouTube doubling as Michael Phelps on pot).

A crew viewing party (see how Shark Week went over with its stars), extra scenes (interns trying stun guns on their tongues), and unedited shoots of speed-boat-jumps are among the clips in Mythbusters Raw.

Between seasons, fans are fed the bait of “lost scenes” – those that didn’t make the show, such as when Captain Sig turns to the Magic 8-Ball, a greenhorn steps into his “survival suit” or a crew member talks about battling addiction.

“Destruction Instruction” goes 360 online as multiple high speed cameras capture crashes and explosions from every angle. A separate feature allows users to control the speed - playing back experiments frame by frame.

Interactive videos allows visitors to use their mouse or keyboard to control the speed of the action and freeze frame on a still image – like when a Kun Tao master takes a wood pole to his six pack stomach, turning it into a ripple.

The shipwreck exploration crew gets geeky and punchy in a series of a dozen webisodes that include zoom ins on the technology (HD cameras) and equipment (submarines), some deadpan comedy (production crew confessions and Halloween pranks) and hazing of the news guys.

The show about outlandish forms of fun, from horse-skiing to rodeo clown school to medieval warfare, offers up some video extras online – like the before and after of a shoot with an aspiring alligator wrestler who got her face chomped.

Interactive features such as “Missing Person” and “Fugitives” encourage the public to help report any sightings or knowledge of subjects featured in the show - as well as others. A “Safety Blog” offers tips from the police, while “Inside the AMW Crime Center” takes us behind the scenes.

"Smile Worthy" is a compilation of videos that show the excitement and nerves of contestants and their families before and after of successful auditions. "Hollywood Hopefuls" focuses on the contestants who are on their way to Hollywood, while "Memorable Auditions" gives a highlight reel of the highs and lows of the early process.

“R Prime Lab” is an interactive mini-drama featuring Hazel, a young woman trapped in a secret room. Viewers are asked to search the internet for clues to help Hazel figure out what’s happened to her, and how and whether she should break free. New episodes are filmed based on messages viewers send in via web cam, some of which make Hazel even more paranoid.

In "The Truth Behind Lie to Me," the show's scientific advisor, Paul Ekman, PhD, translates the science references in various clips from the show, and helps viewers learn the tricks of Tim Roth's new trade.

All that’s left of this sketch comedy series is what’s online, and it’s worth looking at their "New Cast Member" videos, which parody typical cast interviews by taking us behind-the- scenes of their (imagined) previous lives.

In this “Lipdub Fansterpiece,” if you rap like Brett and Jermaine “you won't get laid”...but you might just end up in the season finale of Flight of the Conchords. Viewers have been making videos of themselves lip-synching Jermaine's tongue-twisting opus "Hip-hop-opatamus vs Rhinoceros." The best ones will be edited into a giant mega-mashup to air during the show's finale episode.

In these short online vides called "Kenneth the Web Page", the character of Kenneth the page creates his own riotious videos for the fans of the show. If you love this character, this is the place for you.

"Under the Bleachers with John Riggi," is a show within a show within a show, in which30 Rock writer Riggi hosts an informal talk show with members of the cast like Alec Baldwin, asking them funny and off-beat questions.

"Nick the Page" is a 26 segment webisode series that follows the exploits and interviews of the handsome page Nick. Nick's job is to take care of the Deal or No Deal showgirls and, not surprisingly, the webisodes mostly deal with his access to the girls and asking them questions like "are they real or fake?"

Friday Night Lights

"Spotlight On Austin" is a series of 88 videos that features the cast of the show sharing their favorite places in Austin. The different locations include everything from a boxing gym (Gaius Charles), a yoga studio(Zach Gilford and Minka Kelly) to a girls night out of spicy Mexican food (Adrianne Palicki & Stacey Oristano).

"Heroes: Destiny" is an Emmy winning micro-series made by the creators of Heroes based on the adventures of Santiago, a new character jointly "created" by millions of the show's fans voting together online through the "Create Your Hero" promotion.

“Heroes Evolution” offers an entire universe of nine websites exploring and building upon the series' mythology and backstories. An elaborate interactive story site (iStory) invites viewers to become the main character of various subplots by reacting to scenes through various choices that could mean the difference between life and death – or could shape the direction of the Heroes storyline itself.

The "Horny Manatee" is a website dedicated to images of a person in a life-sized Manatee outfit partaking in various risque activities. The Hot! Live! mammal responds to reader questions, like whether his (her?) double Gs are real.

"Office Summer Vacation" was an online way to feed hungry fans and promote the show Fourth Season during the pre-fall network doldroms, revealing what many of the characters from The Office did on their summer vacation.

"Chuck Versus the Webisodes" is a series of six webisodes where the Buy More workers share tips for working at the show's superstore, such as "John Casey explains how to rid the Buy More of unwanted pests," and lessons on leadership, youth marketing and work ethics.

"First Jobs" is a web-exclusive set of videos that asks the cast of a few NBC shows about their first jobs. The shows include: "ER", "My Name is Earl", "The Office", "Heroes", "30 Rock", "Deal or No Deal," and "Friday Night Lights."

The show birthed on the web, about a lab that studies all matter of “abnormals,” is show mostly before a green screen. The show’s website offers a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects that bring it to life.

Show creator James Duff's Video Blogs, Behind the Scenes, Inside the Writer's Room, Behind the Drama (where actors talk about the show), Best Interrogation scenes, as well as recaps and clips of the show.

"Fantasies" offers elaborate costume-and-set-decorated scenes of lead Debra Messing impersonating everyone from Queen Elizabeth (the virgin queen) to Young Frankenstein. Details are offered on what went into each production.